


Those Three Little Challenges

by catsinouterspace



Category: Naruto
Genre: Developing Relationship, Feelings Eventually Requited - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, pining after years of friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 23:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20161891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsinouterspace/pseuds/catsinouterspace
Summary: Kakashi wanted to tell Gai that he loved him there and then, felt the words on his lips honest and true but he swallowed them down. Love wasn't an emotion you had in this line of work, not when anyone could disappear at any time. So Kakashi just closed his eyes and let himself enjoy this moment, however fleeting it may be.





	Those Three Little Challenges

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tuesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/gifts).

> Gift for Tuesday - hope you enjoy!!

The room was crowded by the time Kakashi appeared, as he’d planned. He had been hoping to avoid as much mingling as possible tonight, make use of the free food and free alcohol without getting caught in a conversation with someone whose name he would forget immediately after introductions.

“Kakashi!” Gai called out, instantly blowing the other man’s cover; Kakashi begrudgingly admitted that it spoke to Gai’s observational skills.

The dark-haired man walked over to Kakashi to throw his arm around him, seemingly unconscious of the rest of the room. “Ah it’s been too long since we had a challenge my rival.”

Kakashi sighed, so much for stuffing his face and stealing a bottle of sake before sneaking out a window.

“Please not another drinking challenge!” Asuma called, turning back to the group he was conversing with to tell the tale of how two of the greatest shinobis the Leaf had to offer acted when they had a few too many.

Kakashi groaned, his liver and his pride had really taken a beating that night.

Gai, however, seemed nonplussed, a booming laugh erupting from him, his shoulders shaking with the movement.

Kakashi didn’t, however, move away, with Gai’s arm still wrapped around him he could feel the other man’s laughter reverberating throughout his body. “It’s your turn to choose the challenge,” Kakashi told him, “But it would probably be good to take Asuma’s request on board.”

Gai nodded, eyeing a plate of spring rolls, “An eating contest then?”

Kakashi’s face lit up, now he was talking.

“But with a twist!”

Kakashi rolled his eyes, of course. The overly enthusiastic man lead Kakashi towards a table, his hand sliding down from its position around Kakashi’s shoulder to the small of his back. Kakashi couldn’t help but wonder how much Gai had already had to drink but he didn’t shy away from the affection like he would have with anyone else.

“We can’t bend our elbows!”

Kakashi realised that this was going to get very messy very quickly but he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and at this point he really wasn’t all to fussed with how the food made it into his mouth.

Kakashi and Gai readied themselves and the table, arraying an equal amount of spring rolls and dumplings on a plate in front of both of them, a small crowd amassing to watch one of the famous challenges between the pair.

“On the count of three!” Yamato began “Three, two,”

Yamato took it upon himself to be the time keeper. Kakashi stared at Gai and the other man stared back, a broad grin on his face Gai flashed a wink at Kakashi. Kakashi was glad the mask hid the majority of his blush.

“ONE!”

Kakashi shoved his head into his plate, nearly choking on his first barely chewed dumpling.

Gai however had chosen to grab his plate, holding it high above his head, arms perfectly straight as dictated by the rules, he let the food rain down from above, fitting an absurdly large quantity of food into his mouth.

Kakashi chanced a glance upwards, Gai’s technique was certainly quicker but a few stray dumplings and spring rolls had escaped, bouncing across the table, fetching them from their various locations would cost Gai precious time.

Kakashi was on his last seven pieces of food by the time Gai had finished, his technique had cost him four pieces of food though. Gai lunged across the table to grab a dumpling, lifting his arm high above his head, he dropped it into his mouth. Kakashi ate two pieces in the time Gai ate one.

Kakashi’s mouth wrapped across the final spring roll the crispy pastry was starting to lose its original delightful flavour as his stomach filled, but Kakashi forced himself to choke down the delicacy as Gai dropped his final dumpling from the air. They met eyes as they chewed, Kakashi’s mouth moving hurriedly behind his mask, no one had managed to get a glimpse of the face behind it throughout the challenge.

“Finished.”

“Congratulations my dearest rival!” Gai said around half a mouthful of dumpling. “Next time my technique will have more accuracy!”

Kakashi rolled his eyes, “I have no doubt.”

“Tomorrow I will do a thousand push-ups to train myself to not accept such failures!”

Kakashi sighed, he had no doubt that while the rest of them would be sleeping off the night’s festivities Gai would be doing exactly that. “I’m going to get some sake to wash this down.” He muttered.

Gai nodded, “An excellent idea Kakashi.”

Kakashi stared at Gai, who had found himself across the room, the sake making him a bit too warm for his comfort. He pulled his mask out from his face for half a second letting in a breath of fresh air before settling it neatly back in place.

Gai noticed this movement, "Excuse me, I'm just going to get some fresh air." He beamed at the shinobi he was talking to who nodded and moved on to mingle with another group.

Gai patted Kakashi's back and the masked man followed him outside, grateful for the cool summer air. Asuma smiled at them as they exited the building, grinding the butt of a cigarette under his boot before heading back to the party.

Kakashi wavered a bit unsteadily on his feet and Gai wrapped his arm around his waist, "Had a bit much?" He asks.

"Bah," Kakashi waved Gai’s concern off but leant into his side, the air was noticeably cooler outside and Gai was warm and solid. "I just haven't done this in a long time."

Gai tightened his hold around the other man, tilting his head so it rested on Kakashi's.

Kakashi wanted to tell him that he loved him there and then, felt the words on his lips honest and true but he swallowed them down. Love wasn't an emotion you had in this line of work, not when anyone could disappear at any time. So Kakashi just closed his eyes and let himself enjoy this moment, however fleeting it may be.

~

Kakashi sighed as he settled into a tree branch allowing himself to relax for a moment. He’d told the kids that they couldn’t find him until they’d managed to retrieve a long list of flowers, muttering that they were for medical supplies, he was sure one of the medical nin could find a use for them, even if that use happened to be in a vase by someone’s bedside.

It had been a while since he’d read the first addition of Icha Icha and while he appreciated how Jiriya had perfected his writing in his future books there was something to be said for the classics.

“Kakashi!”

The copy-nin nearly fell out of the tree Gai shoved his face in front of Kakashi, using his chakra to hang upside down from the tree branch above him.

“Ah I wasn’t sure if I’d managed to sneak up on you.” Gai grinned smugly, clearly pleased with his ability to surprise Kakashi.

“I’m kind of busy Gai.” Kakashi straightened himself, it’s not that he didn’t want to talk to Gai, he just didn’t want to talk to anyone.

Gai quirked an eyebrow, before performing a half back flip so he found himself sitting on the branch in front of Kakashi. “Reading?”

Kakashi offered a half shrug.

Gai stuck out his bottom lip in an overly pronounced pout and Kakashi couldn’t help feel a wave of guilt roll through him.

He sighed, turning his full attention to the green clad man, “Do you know how hard I had to work to distract my team?” He asked.

Gai smiled, “You seem to forget, I’ve been teaching teams longer than you Kakashi.”

Kakashi had forgotten that, he may have been rostered to train teams but the fact that he usually failed them before said training could begin meant that he had relatively limited experience in the actual training side of things.

“It’s your turn.”

“What?” Kakashi hoped that playing dumb would work, just this once.

“To decide how we should test who is the strongest in our great rivalry of course!”

“Scissors, paper, rock?” Kakashi asked.

Gai rolled his eyes, “You chose that last time, have some originality Kakashi.”

Gai had a point, Kakashi admitted to himself begrudgingly. He found himself looking around, trees, maybe a contest of who could get to the top first? Ugh. The thought of having to give up his relatively comfortable position to race up a tree was not something he felt like doing right now. His book was still wide open on his left. “Kissing.” Kakashi said before his brain could catch up with his mouth.

Gai raised his eyebrows. “Kissing?”

Kakashi froze for a second, licking his lips, the thought of kissing Gai was...not something he hadn’t considered before… a lot… in depth. But still, the other man couldn’t possibly be okay with going through with this, maybe if he just stood his ground Gai would leave him alone with his well worn copy of Icha Icha. “Yeah, who’s the, uh better kisser.”

Gai’s face broke into a broad grin, “Well that is much more original!” His face softened for a second, “Um do you want an objective judge or should we…” He trailed off as he moved an inch closer to Kakashi so that their knees brushed together.

Kakashi felt his cheeks turning red, “I uh, promise to give you a fair judgement.” He said, heart hammering against his chest.

Gai shuffled forward again and Kakashi did the same, they paused for a moment face to face.  
“Uh mask on or off?” Gai asked.

Kakashi gulped, pulling his mask down so it hung around his neck, he felt as naked as he would had he been completely clothless.

Gai cupped Kakashi’s chin, stroking his thumb briefly over Kakashi’s lips, “You’re beautiful.” He whispered before closing the distance between them.

Gai wouldn’t be performing one of his self imposed rules for losing the following day.

~

Kakashi opened his apartment to the smell of roasting vegetables, “Ah Kakashi just in time!” Gai turned to face him as he took the food out of Kakashi’s small and rarely used oven.

The copy nin nodded, as if it made perfect sense that he would be on time for the meal that Gai was apparently making in his home.

“Just because you’ve managed to avoid a hospital stay doesn’t mean that you couldn’t use a little extra TLC.” Gai grinned handing Kakashi a plate overflowing with food.

Kakashi sighed, this paired with Sakura’s shock that he wasn’t in hospital after their battle with Hidan and Kakuzu was making him feel old. “You fought too Gai.” Kakashi mumbled, but he wasn’t about to complain about the food.

Gai shrugged, “Just as easy to cook for two as it is for one.”

Kakashi didn’t press the matter, didn’t mutter something about the spare key being for emergencies, or ask how Gai happened to be know his favourite vegetables or enough of his comings and going to have food ready for him, instead let the answer of he pays attention to you because he cares lay unspoken between them like so many other things.

“Hey Kakashi?” Gai began after he’d taken the plates and cleaned up against Kakashi’s, admittedly feeble attempt, to convince him not to.

Kakashi hummed, the pair were sat on the couch, Kakashi leaning into the taller man’s chest as Gai wrapped his arm loosely around Kakashi’s shoulder.

“It’s my turn to pick our next challenge.”

Kakashi smiled into Gai’s side, how he found the energy Kakashi would never know. “Weren’t the Akutski enough?

There was half a beat of silence, “I was thinking a less physical challenge.”

“Tactical then?”

“Along those lines.”

“Kakashi I want to…” Gai trailed off for a second and Kakashi pulled away from him so he could look at the other man, unused to seeing any form of hesitancy coming from him. “I want to challenge you to a game of honesty.”

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, Gai already knew more than most, more than anyone really and Kakashi had begrudgingly allowed himself to be comfortable with that fact rather than alarmed.

“I ask a question and you ask a question and the first one to refuse to answer loses.”

“What’s to stop us from lying?” Kakashi asked.

Gai looked appalled, “Well our integrity of course.”

Kakashi exhaled through his nose, something close to a laugh, they may be trained in espionage where lying is a critical skill but of course Gai would not expect such treachery between them. “Okay.”

“Are you doing okay Kakashi?” Gai asked, his brow was furrowed in a look of unmasked concern.

Kakashi opened his mouth to snap back a quick of course, before remembering his integrity. He mulled the question over in his head, trying to figure out if he even had a grasp of what okay looked like to compare himself to. “I’m doing better.” He finally responded.

Gai nodded, taking that as an acceptable answer.

Kakashi wasn’t quite sure what to ask Gai, then he remembered that this was still a challenge and as the cards fell right now they were tied. “Do you have a favourite member of your team?”

“I-” Gai’s face went red, “Of course I wouldn’t-” He stuttered, “I love my entire team.”

Kakashi leveled Gai with an even stare.

“....Lee.” He sighed, “But it doesn't mean I don’t love Neji and Tenten!” Gai exclaimed.

Kakashi grinned, “You’re a great team leader Gai.” He hesitated for a moment, but in the end it was just too easy to pick fun at the other man, “Even if you do pick favourites.”

Gai pouted for half a moment, “Was I your first kiss?”

Kakashi went bright red, he hadn’t seen that one coming, but he supposed fair was fair. “Yes.” He muttered.

Gai smiled at him, “No need to be embarrassed.”

“Was I yours?” Kakashi retorted.

“No.” Gai replied easily.

“Than who?”

“It’s my turn!” Gai interrupted.

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

“Are you thinking of leading another team when yours move on?”

Kakashi wasn’t sure, his team, as it stood, were already split, the last few years had seen all three of them find other teachers, and Sasuke was still awol. “I don’t think I’m very good at it.”

Gai waited for him to continue.

“Probably not, although I think that if I did Team 7 would make anything else look like a walk in the park.”

Gai nodded, “You certainly had a rough start to teaching.”

“So who was it?”

Gai snorted, “Before I kissed you? There was Hibiki, and Tenzou, and Asuma, oh and Aiko, although I don’t think you’d know her.”

There was a long silence while Gai tried to word his next question, “Do you like me Kakashi?”

The copy-nin was a fairly private person and Gai was sitting on his couch after letting himself in and making a meal for the two of them, the answer was fairly clear. “Of course, I like you.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Kakashi stilled for a moment, his heart slamming against his rib cage as he thought about how easy it would be to tell Gai the same excuses he told himself about his feelings, but in that moment he decided to let his integrity win out. “Answer’s still the same.”

Kakashi bit his lip, “Do you like me Gai?”

Gai’s face was a broad grin, “I really do Kakashi.”

“Can we decide to call this challenge a tie?” Kakashi asked.

Gai nodded, “Next time I’ll reclaim my championship.” He asserted, but Kakashi was barely listening, instead pulling down his mask so it hung around his neck like it had in a previous challenge all those years ago as he quickly closed the distance between the two of them.

**Author's Note:**

> the title is meant to be a play on words of "those three words" aka i love you - but i recognise that's not very clear - what can I say titles aren't my forte ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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